Scenery - Structures
Geodesic dome house
A while ago I thought it might be cool to have a geodesic dome on my layout. My layout is in a completely fictional setting and not meant to reflect any real country in any real time period, so I figured having a pretty modern house might be cool next to some older wooden buildings, especially if it's a modern design with old materials.
Grade Crossing Signal Location
So I have a road that crosses three tracks, one being the mainline and the other two are short sidings. Would a grade crossing signal only be used to protect the mainline or all three tracks? If it would only be used to protect the mainline would the signal be placed outside all three tracks or just the mainline?
Testing Adhesive for Eating SPS Foam
This morning I've been testing a variety of adhesives on SPS foam to discover if any of these would eat the foam, but also to see if any created a stronger bond compared to the other. I thought this experiment might help others, so here 'tis. FYI - for what I need to achieve on this model: My structure will include ~ 25 brick piers that will be set into the foam. The piers will be attached to the structure and only give the appearance of actually supporting the structure in the ground. I will drill slightly over-sized, shall holes in the foam to accept the piers.
Using sifted cement as ground cover in a Cement Plant
I am going to model part of a very big cement plant (Lehigh, Union Bridge) and I have the track laid and I am currently building the structures. Judging from my research, it is apparent that many parts of cement plants are pretty much covered in cement dust. While in Home Depot, I noticed all of the fine spilled cement on the floor and started thinking that it might work as ground cover for this area.
Painting Balsa Wood - Seal it First?
Does anyone have experience painting balsa wood on your buildings? Being as soft as it is, I have a feeling the wood will soak up paint like a sponge. I mostly curious if the wood should be sealed with something prior to painting. I'll be using these 1/16"-thick clapboard siding panels. My plan is to cut the panels to size, cut the window and door openings, affix the window and door casings to the panel, and paint the panels on both sides.
Thanks!
Kevin
RDA Delaney Iron Works - Build or dump into the spare parts box?
So my favorite activity is building structures but my oversized door layout is done and dusted with only the endless list of detailing still to do. With the New Year upon us I have the itch to build a structure just for fun. I have had this kit for a number of years and am tempted to build it but have read that it can be a real challenge with a plethora of issues that require sanding, filing, filling, etc. Anyone have any experience building this kit and if so did you get it done or pack it back up and put it on the shelf in frustration?
R.I.P. track APRON
I would like to enclose my R.I.P. track in cement so that lifttrucks can move material and jacks can be used when replacing wheels. I am toying with using plaster of paris or styrene but would like to hear how others have done theirs.
Thanks for any input.
Ken
Traincat etched brass kits
I am very late to the model train party but wondering if anyone can help me locate some of the Traincat towers and stairs/platforms kits (or built). Thanks,
Kent (Manitoba, Canada)
Build a Model Railroad in 10 Minutes a Day
This year I’ve decided to devote 10 minutes a day to working on model railroading. My first post was on FaceBook Live so not sure how to share that here but the next three are online there as well as on YouTube.
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